


The Lost Pine

by thebrokenbottle



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Demonic Possession, F/M, Family Bonding, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Rape, amnesiac!stan au, graphic violence and torture, recovery fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 07:54:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6110086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrokenbottle/pseuds/thebrokenbottle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gravity Falls is saved. Weirdmageddon is over.</p><p>And Stan Pines is lost.</p><p>( AU where Stan's memories come back in the course of his remaining years, but not without issues. Ford learns about his brother in new ways, because this Stan is more open to communicate in order to know who he is. )</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lost Pine

**Author's Note:**

> Yelp! I hope this goes well. I have a few chapter ideas written down, and I really want to explore the idea of "who a person is" whether is be based on the human soul, or the memories that shape them.
> 
> Have fun reading and enjoy!

With the end of summer fast approaching, the thought that the kids would be leaving on such a heavy note should not be so bad. After all, it wasn't like wiping Stan's mind was the worst thing in the world.

Well. Okay. Maybe it was.

And it hurt them all because Stanley seemed _excited_ to get rid of twins. And why wouldn't he? As far as he knows, these kids are total _strangers_ to him, with no connections, no ties. It must be awkward to be the cause of a 13 year old girl's tears. Maybe Stanley didn't feel the shame, but Ford was going to bear it for him from now on.

And that's only a _fraction_ of the problem of erasing memories. Stanley (the _new_ Stanley) felt awkward, unsure, a shadow of the annoying and confident man he once was. A stranger to his brother, the one he swore to go anywhere with. So- while he had the same face, to the rest of the Pine's family... Old Grunkle Stan was gone. Stan Pines may as well be dead.

Having given up his precious memories in order to save the kids he so deeply loved. Having given up the only remaining identity. Given up everything.

Needless to say, Stanford had a hard time keeping it together for the kids. While no one said a thing against him, he knew... if he had just kept his mouth shut.

If he didn't need to correct Stan.

If he only... _Thanked_ him.

In the end, he did though! But it's a bit late. Now Stan looks at him with mild confusion and is apprehensive with the man who shares his same face. _“What? What'd I do?”_ He said it so defensinvely. Distrusting.

It hurts. It hurts everyone, really.

Ford was preparing to help Stan with the whole process of seeing the kids off. If there was one thing he wasn't going to allow, it was that they leave on a bad note.

“Lee,” Ford peeked into Stan's room, blinking when he saw his twin already sitting up. He normally was asleep at this time; a side effect of the memory eraser gun. “Lee, you ready?”

The other grunted, but he seemed to be looking at something. Ford takes a few steps inside and stops when he sees that Mabel's scrapbook was in Stan's hands, as he slowly flipped through the pages with a thoughtful look on his face.

For a moment, Ford felt a surge of hope rush in his chest, before Stan shut the book and looked up at him. “She gave this ta me. I don't... know what to do with it.”

“You keep it safe,” Ford offers, sitting next to him. “It... it would be good for you. And your memories, you know.”

An unbelieving snort. “Not if I can't remember shit.”

“Well, we'll keep trying.” Ford sighed taking the book from his twin's hands. He looks over the pages, many of them excluding Stanford himself, up towards the end when Ford first came back through the portal. He looks at one drawing Mabel made- Of her “adorable” (yet obviously cranky) Grunkles. There are few handful pictures left and then... nothing.

Mabel stopped taking pictures when she lost her Grunkle Stan.

Still feeling regret and remorse over what has happened, Ford sighed before standing. “Hurry up and get ready, Lee. We need to see the kids off.”

“Right, right...” Stan moves again, this time with a little more purpose.

+-+-+-+-+

At the bus stop, Mabel and Dipper are uncharacteristically (and understandably) quiet. They make small talk with Stan, trying to remind him of how much of a hero he was for his sacrifice. Stanley only looks at them with mild uncertainty and disbelief.

“Eh? Y'don't say? Well, guess I was good for something afterall!” He laughs heartily at the thought, but Ford can practically feel some remnant of Old Stan in that sentence.

 _Stanley?_ Save the _world?_ Hah! ...That's Stanley's mentality. Not that Ford helped in the matter.

Dipper goes up into the bus first, hugging both his Grunkles and asking Ford that he call them some time. That he's really going to miss this place.

Mabel's up next, but she can hardly contain her tears.

 _Poor Mabel_ , Ford thinks to himself. While both twins loved Stanley equally, Mabel was more about family and friendship bonds than Dipper. It makes sense that she was hurting the most from this loss and would show it more.

Regardless, Stanley knelt down and hugged her tightly, just as she made a keening noise which would break any old man's heart. She sniffed and asked her Grunkle to keep trying to remember and to feel free to call anytime, and that he should _especially_ call if he ever remembers anything.

Stanley just brushed her hair back and smiled, repeating after her, because what else is he supposed to say?

“I'll try, sweetheart.”

The Pine twins were gone shortly after that. Ford wonders if they still have that hope weeks after they leave.

+-+-+-+-+

The very first memory Stan retrieves makes Ford choke on his meal. They were had just sat down for dinner (the Shack still shut down for the time being) when Stanley blurted out something about wanting to go sailing.

“W-Why all of a sudden?” Stanford tries his best to keep his voice level, but avoids Stan's eyes. “That's pretty random, don't you think?” It's not like Lee had any memories of being on a boat.... Right?

“I don't know,” his twin mumbles, taking another bite of the sandwich. “But I just... I feel like it's important to me.” There's silence between them and Ford realizes that maybe he should say something, because Lee then lowers his food and rubs the back of his neck. “....Is that weird?”

 _No._ It's not weird! It's better than that! Ford laughs hard and grasps at his hair, a motion that makes Stan look to his brother with concerned eyes. “N-No, it's not. If we go...” _Because that's what we're doing now,_ “...what would you like to call the boat?”

“Well, if it's just the two of us,” Stanley grins and crosses his arms, thoughtful. “The Stan-o-War.” A laugh. “Get it? Cuz we're-”

“I get it Stan.”

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, there you have it. Let me know what ya'll think.


End file.
